Hand painting is the traditional method of detailing up a kit. While it takes considerable patience, one can achieve the same great look as though the work was done with an air brush. It’s also the best way to touch up and detail kits. The Devil is in the details, or so they say.

Brushes

There are many different types of brushes out there, with many different bristle types. While they play an important part in conventional painting, I have yet to experience an issues when working on Gunpla. Instead, look for a size and hardness that suits your need. For small, detail work, a thin stiff head would be most appropriate. If you’re working on a larger area a wider, little softer brush, would probably suit your needs. Brushes can get fairly expensive, especially when purchased individually. Luckily many craft stores sell reasonably priced bundles with various shapes and sizes. With proper care a brush will last you a long time. read more

Before you start to paint, whether by hand or airbrush, it’s important to prepare your workspace before hand. Proper prep will help keep your space clean as the project proceeds and help facilitate cleanup when it’s all said and done.

Reusable & Washable Drop Cloth

I recommend getting some sort of reusable drop cloth to use while painting. I picked up a fairly large one from a home improvement store for a lot less than I would have thought. It’s protected my floors against unexpected paint drops and particulates (see below). The best part is that it’s washable, making it a lot easier to clean up than my carpet (which already has enough paint on it). read more

Masking is a very important step when it comes to detailed painting. Once you venture from painting whole pieces, you will find that great detail can come from treating different parts of the same piece differently. To do so, you’ll need to mask the pieces to avoid getting paint on the rest of the piece. While primarily used when applying paint via a can or airbrush, it can be used during hand painting to ensure a straight line.

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Tamiya v. Off the Shelf

When masking pieces, I highly recommend getting a hold of some Tamiya brand masking tape (the yellow roll in the above photo). While your average beige brand is effective in stopping paint I’ve had many issues with paint seeping in along the edges. As a result, I do all of my edges with Tamiya and cover the rest with the generic stuff (blue painters tape or otherwise). read more